Lacrosse head with stringing features in the ball stop region

ABSTRACT

A lacrosse head includes a socket, a base region adjacent to the socket, and a pair of sidewalls extending from the base region to a scoop. A ball stop extends between the sidewalls adjacent to the base region. Eyelets or other openings through which netting may be strung to form a pocket in the lacrosse head are included in external regions of the sidewalls near the ball stop such that the netting does not interfere with a ball positioned in the ball stop. A stringing element including an opening that is substantially transverse to a longitudinal direction of the lacrosse head is included adjacent to the ball stop to allow netting to be strung in a transverse direction near the ball stop region. The stringing element optionally secures the netting outside of the ball stop region so the netting does not interfere with a ball positioned in the ball stop.

BACKGROUND

Lacrosse stick heads, or lacrosse heads, typically include a socket forreceiving a stick shaft, a base region adjacent to the socket, and apair of sidewalls extending from the base region that terminate in ascoop. The sidewalls in many lacrosse heads include an upper rail and alower rail. A ball rest or ball stop extends between the sidewallsadjacent to the base region. Some lacrosse heads, such as thosedescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,393,294, which is incorporated herein byreference, include a flexible cartridge or joint positioned between thesocket and the base for providing increased or variable flexibility tothe lacrosse head.

Eyelets or other openings are included in the lacrosse head throughwhich netting is strung to form a pocket in the lacrosse head. Theeyelets typically extend along the scoop, along lower rails of thesidewalls, and along a lower region of the ball stop. The netting weavesin and out of the interior of the lacrosse head, including in the ballstop region. Further, the eyelets in the ball stop region are orientedin a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of thelacrosse head.

SUMMARY

A lacrosse head includes a socket, a base region adjacent to the socket,and a pair of sidewalls extending from the base region to a scoop. Aball stop extends between the sidewalls adjacent to the base region.Eyelets or other openings through which netting may be strung to form apocket in the lacrosse head are included in external regions of thesidewalls near the ball stop such that the netting does not interferewith a ball positioned in the ball stop.

A stringing element including an opening that is substantiallytransverse to a longitudinal direction of the lacrosse head is includedadjacent to the ball stop to allow netting to be strung in a transversedirection near the ball stop region. The stringing element optionallysecures the netting outside of the ball stop region so the netting doesnot interfere with a ball positioned in the ball stop. Other featuresand advantages will appear hereinafter. The features described above canbe used separately or together, or in various combinations of one ormore of them.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the sameelement throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lacrosse head, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the lacrosse head shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the lacrosse head shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4A is a bottom view of the ball stop and channel regions of thelacrosse head shown in FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 4B is an exploded view of the lacrosse head shown in FIG. 4A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described. Thefollowing description provides specific details for a thoroughunderstanding and enabling description of these embodiments. One skilledin the art will understand, however, that the invention may be practicedwithout many of these details. Additionally, some well-known structuresor functions may not be shown or described in detail so as to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the relevant description of the variousembodiments.

The terminology used in the description presented below is intended tobe interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it isbeing used in conjunction with a detailed description of certainspecific embodiments of the invention. Certain terms may even beemphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted inany restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as suchin this detailed description section.

Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include theplural or singular term, respectively. Moreover, unless the word “or” isexpressly limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the otheritems in a list of two or more items, then the use of “or” in such alist is to be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list,(b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of items in thelist.

Turning now in detail to the drawings, as shown in FIGS. 1-4B, in oneembodiment a lacrosse head 10 includes a socket 12 configured to receivea lacrosse stick shaft, and a base region 14 adjacent to the socket 12.Sidewalls 16 extend from the base region 14 and terminate at a scoop 18.Each sidewall 16 optionally includes an upper rail 20 extending from thebase region 14 and a lower rail 22 connected to the upper rail 20 viasupport arms 24. A ball rest or ball stop 34 extends between thesidewalls 16 adjacent to the base region 14. The various lacrosse headcomponents may be made of a plastic material or of another suitablematerial.

In one embodiment, the ball stop 34 is spaced from the socket 12 suchthat a cavity is formed between them. A flexible member or cartridge 36may be positioned in the cavity and attached to the ball stop 34 and thesocket 12, via a screw 38 or another suitable attachment device. Theflexible cartridge 36 may be made of a compressible, resilient rubbermaterial, or of another suitable material. A flexible cartridge 36 ofthis nature is described in incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 7,393,294.

The screw 38 may be tightened, which compresses the flexible cartridge36 and adjusts the throwing angle—or the angle between an upper surfaceof the upper rail 20 and an upper surface of the socket 12—to meet agiven player's preferences. The throwing angle may be adjusted in theopposite direction by loosening the screw 38. Tightening or looseningthe screw 38 may also adjust the flexibility and feel of the head 10.

Stringing holes, such as eyelets 26 or other openings, through whichnetting 28 or another pocket material may be strung or otherwiseconnected, are included in the lower rails 22 and in the scoop 18. Inone embodiment, a portion of the lower rails 22 includes an inner,pocket-adjacent wall 23 and an outer wall 25 spaced apart from the innerwall 23, at least near the ball stop 34. In this embodiment, eyelets 26are included in the outer wall 25 such that the netting 28 does notenter the interior of the lacrosse head 10 in this region. Accordingly,the netting 28 does not interfere with a ball in the ball stop region.In one embodiment, the inner wall 23 is devoid of openings. In anotherembodiment, the inner wall 23 may include openings to provide analternative stringing location for users.

In one embodiment, the portion of each of the sidewalls including aninner wall 23 and an outer wall 25 extends from the ball stop regionapproximately to a longitudinal midpoint of the sidewall. In anotherembodiment, this portion of each of the sidewalls extends from the ballstop region to a location at approximately one-third the length of thesidewalls. Accordingly, a ball resting in the ball stop 34 will be freefrom interference from the netting 28. The portion of each of thesidewalls including an inner wall 23 and an outer wall 25 alternativelymay extend over any other suitable length, up to the entire length ofthe sidewalls.

In one embodiment, the inner and outer walls 23, 25 form channels 40 inthe lower rails 22. Support ribs 42 optionally extend from the outerwall 25 of each channel 40 to the inner wall 23 of the channel 40. Inthe embodiment shown, the support ribs 42 form a truss pattern. Thesupport ribs 42 may alternatively be oriented in any other suitablemanner, as described, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/095,749, filed on Apr. 27, 2011, which is incorporated herein byreference.

In one embodiment, when the adjustment screw 38 is tightened, the lowerrails 22 near the ball stop 34 pinch or deflect inwardly as the flexiblecartridge 36 is compressed. This inward deflection provides increasedlateral stiffness in the lacrosse head 10, while reducing the width inthe ball stop region. This narrowing in the ball stop region mayfacilitate better ball control and ball retention. In the embodiment inwhich the stringing holes 26 are included in the outer wall 25, theinner wall may remain smooth such that the netting 28 will not interferewith a ball in the ball stop region. Accordingly, the head 10 may bepinched to a greater degree than a head in which netting interferes withthe ball stop region.

A stringing element 50, such as a tab or one or more outwardly extendingarms, is attached to or integral with the ball stop 34. The stringingelement 50 includes one or more openings—oriented substantiallytransverse to the longitudinal direction of the lacrosse head 10—throughwhich a portion of the netting may be strung. In an alternativeembodiment, the stringing element 50 may include one or moresubstantially transverse holes through the ball stop 34 itself, orthrough the flexible cartridge 36.

In one embodiment, the stringing element 50 projects away from the ballstop 34 to secure netting outside of the ball stop area. For example, asshown in FIG. 4A, the stringing element 50 may include two outwardlyprojecting arms 51, each including an opening 52 through which a nettingsection 54 may be strung (the remainder of the netting 28 is omittedfrom FIG. 4A). Because such a transverse stringing element 50 separatesthe netting section 54 from the ball stop region, the netting will notinterfere with a ball positioned in the ball stop 34.

By securing the netting away from the ball stop 34, the transversestringing element 50 also provides for an easier adjustment to the depthof the pocket. For example, the transverse stringing element 50 allows auser to readily arrange the netting 28 into a substantially open,generally round shape at the bottom of the netting 28. Such aconfiguration may help a user to better locate the ball during play. Thetransverse stringing element 50 allows a user to readily arrange thepocket in other desired configurations, as well.

Any of the above-described embodiments may be used alone or incombination with one another. Furthermore, the lacrosse head may includeadditional features not described herein. While several embodiments havebeen shown and described, various changes and substitutions may ofcourse be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except bythe following claims and their equivalents.

1. A lacrosse head configured to be attached to a lacrosse stick shaft,comprising: a socket; a base region adjacent to the socket; a pluralityof sidewalls extending in a substantially longitudinal direction fromthe base region to a distal end of the lacrosse head, with at least aportion of each of the sidewalls including an outer wall and an innerwall, with the outer wall including a plurality of openings configuredto receive netting; a ball stop extending between the inner wallsadjacent to the base region; and a stringing element adjacent to orintegral with the ball stop including at least one opening configured toreceive netting, with the opening in the stringing element oriented in adirection substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction andspaced apart from the ball stop to receive netting away from the ballstop.
 2. A lacrosse head configured to be attached to a lacrosse stickshaft, comprising: a socket; a base region adjacent to the socket; aplurality of sidewalls extending in a substantially longitudinaldirection from the base region to a distal end of the lacrosse head,with the sidewalls including a plurality of openings configured toreceive netting; a ball stop extending between the sidewalls adjacent tothe base region; and a stringing element adjacent to or integral withthe ball stop and configured to engage netting, with the stringingelement including at least one opening oriented in a directionsubstantially transverse to the longitudinal direction.
 3. The lacrossehead of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of each of the sidewallsincludes an inner wall and an outer wall, and wherein the plurality ofopenings are included in the outer walls.
 4. The lacrosse head of claim3 wherein the portion of each of the sidewalls including an inner walland an outer wall is located adjacent to the ball stop.
 5. The lacrossehead of claim 4 wherein the portion of each of the sidewalls includingan inner wall and an outer wall extends from the ball stop approximatelyto a longitudinal midpoint of the sidewall.
 6. The lacrosse head ofclaim 1 wherein the stringing element includes two spaced apart openingsoriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction.
 7. Thelacrosse head of claim 1 wherein the at least one opening in thestringing element is spaced apart from the ball stop such that nettingengaging the stringing element does not interfere with the ball stop. 8.The lacrosse head of claim 1 wherein each of the sidewalls includes anopen channel in a lower region of the sidewall.
 9. The lacrosse head ofclaim 8 further comprising a plurality of support ribs extending from afirst wall of the channel to a second wall of the channel.
 10. Thelacrosse head of claim 1 further comprising a flexible cartridge securedbetween the ball stop and the socket.
 11. The lacrosse head of claim 10wherein the flexible cartridge is attached to the ball stop and thesocket via a screw.
 12. The lacrosse head of claim 11 wherein theflexible cartridge is compressible via tightening of the screw such thatan angle between an upper surface of the upper rail and an upper surfaceof the socket is adjustable.
 13. The lacrosse head of claim 12 whereinthe sidewalls are deflectable inwardly near the ball stop via tighteningof the screw.
 14. A lacrosse head configured to be attached to alacrosse stick shaft, comprising: a socket; a base region adjacent tothe socket; a plurality of sidewalls extending in a substantiallylongitudinal direction from the base region to a distal end of thelacrosse head, with the sidewalls each including a first portionincluding an outer wall and an inner wall, with the outer wall includinga plurality of openings configured to receive netting; and a ball stopextending between the sidewalls adjacent to the base region.
 15. Thelacrosse head of claim 14 wherein the inner wall of the first portion isdevoid of openings.
 16. The lacrosse head of claim 14 wherein each ofthe sidewalls comprises an upper rail and a lower rail extending fromthe base region, wherein the first portion of each of the sidewalls islocated in the lower rail.
 17. The lacrosse head of claim 14 wherein thefirst portion of each of the sidewalls extends from the ball stopapproximately to a longitudinal midpoint of the sidewall.
 18. Thelacrosse head of claim 14 wherein the first portion of each of thesidewalls includes an open channel defined by the outer wall and theinner wall.
 19. The lacrosse head of claim 18 further comprising aplurality of support ribs extending from the outer wall to the innerwall.
 20. The lacrosse head of claim 14 further comprising a stringingelement adjacent to or integral with the ball stop and configured toreceive netting, with the stringing element including at least oneopening oriented in a direction substantially transverse to thelongitudinal direction.